The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-01-11
AOeQJATE ENESS AND SIMPLICITY OF
GYPSY CIVIL GOVERNMENT.

GYPSY CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
Every Gypsy Man and Woman skilled
In Horse Lore and Hcrsemanship-Wise
Old Witches and Their DiabIerie-won-
derfuI Types
The make up of the usual party of gypsies
for the road is quite the same wherever you
come upon any considerable number. There
will always be found the seolate and quiet
Gypsy of past the middle age, with a wife
who is far more active and assertive than
himself. They usually reserved and quiet,
and eat drink and live their quiet, contented
lives apparently little apart from the hey
dey of the boisterous life of the band You
will find three four more families that
know these two for the parent stock, and the
elderly man and wife possess that air OF con-
tentment and repose which come from un-
questioned station worthily won. They will
travel in fine carriage, in easy comfort,
may be, and such oftentmes discovered
To be the king" and queen" of this particu-
lar band, though you would never know III
from any airs Of authority or manner OF
dress Yet their decisions-the mans upon
the affairs of the men, the woman's upon the
affairs of the women-are absolute. A
Gypsy would as soon think of becoming
to question them
GYPSY GOVERNMENT.
Indeed, it is worthy of remark here that
gypsy civil government, il it may be given
SO dignified a term, would seem to have
always and almost unconsciously been the
very ideal of adequateness, perfection and
simplicity. Here, nowhere else ON earth,
law is the perfect will of a people expressed
through desi gnated authority This people
by direct vote elect their rulers Authority
no more dare abuse of power than dare
the most insignificant integral of the con-
crete power-creating source question that
power SO that here, with what your politi-
cal and social philosophers would be pleased
TO call a semi-civilized people, is found a
government of people by people for people,
infinitely more perfect in theory, and exact
and true to theory in permanent practice,
than was ever even formulated by sunniest
dreamer in all republics Of benefcent ora
toric symmetry rather than actual liberty
and equality under hard tests of friction and
use.
There are also found a dozen otaer fami-
lies, may be. OF these one or two may
travel in wagons which alone have cost
small fortunes. But in the daily lives and
manner of their owners there can never be
found vanity and caste because of superior
possession, envy among less fortunate
Romany who seem proud rather than cha
grined that their fellows can show the Gen
tiles such respectable belongings. OF these
dozen or more families, every man and
every woman is a master of horse lore, horse
care and Of horsemanship A lad of II or a
lass of Is is trader, jockey and n veter-
marian. A number OF animals besides those
in actual use always accompany the band.
These are traded, sold, or added to at a
moments notice. This summer, in Connecti
cut, yOuug gypsy with whom / was pill
grirning on being bantered to sell the one
nag which drew our little democratic wagon
sold him on the spot to some overwise
farmers coming from the town hilarious
with drink and coolly invited me to assist
in dragging the vehicle into camp, soms
four miles distant. On our arrival we were
greeted with cheers; but / half suspect il
was not so much from the camps recogni
tion of my Gypsy companions thrift as i
was from the entire bands enjoyment II
seeing the "Gorgio chal," as they call me
transformed into a nimble and tractabl'
grye (horsel,
WISE OLD WITCHES.
The band always has three or four ol'
-wives-old. old women that remind on
of the grewsome Norma of Scott's creation
Heaven only knows how old these venerable
tivity. and wisdom are marvellous. To pene
trate the caution deceit, cannlness, and dia
blerie OF these blessed witches is matches
work For months have exercised my wi
hest arts upon some of them, and am just abb
to discover they are part human. | am al
lowed by To occasionally come OF al
evening to her tent and tell her of some o
the pleasant things of Gorgio life, and, unde
frequent severe protest, tn calmly urge tina
L.
fore the century, have made a poem. an
am not bhghted, that feel progress
making The camp smile on me, though
and shake their heads betimes. III there b
aught in gypsyism allied 20 the ancient an,
honorable being deviD himself, these aul,
raunies possess il all and communicate 10 il
their presence and influence
But that sort of witchery is fading slowl,
out of tine gypsy people. Little by little tn
younger blood, teuderly enough but surel,
and stubbornly, refuses its mysticism, dread
and fetch glamour But they stand a
wonderful types still of the concentrated hu
man bedevilment of 10000 years. Well as
know them, sure l am of them | woul,
not like 70 pass through life with one o
these witches curses upon me. But ther
are witches and witches. Some walk besid
Us in everyday life. They are bugaboo
only These are the real kind from out O
the heart Of the night of the centuries. Wit
all these and the dogs and the tinkers-
score of dogs, "of diet spare and slight" hk
old Tatne's Greek coursers, almost voiceless
sedate, even melancholy, but fuller of bus
ness than sentiment; and tinkers many CAV
joIG rollicsing, the buffoons of the band
great hearted but small pursed, and wiser i
sentiment than thrift-and YOU have th
gypsy band as it moves upon the road int
the scornfui, melodious camp.-Edgar 1
wakemsu in Chicago News.